House passes resolution to honor dogs

The House has honored plenty of not-so-serious people over the years: Sports teams, musicians, contest winners, etc. But they're humans, not animals.

On Wednesday, lawmakers passed a bipartisan resolution to honor dogs. Specifically, service dogs.

H. Res. 1614, which passed by a voice vote Wednesday afternoon, recognizes "the extraordinary efforts and dedication of these service dogs."

Canine handlers are mentioned, as well, but the dogs are the real honorees.

Unfortunately, being dogs, these "very special partner[s] in the protection of our safety and freedoms" will never understand how much Congress appreciates them.

The eight-point resolution was introduced by Rep. Howard Coble (R-N.C.), who spoke on the floor about it. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) also took to the floor and urged his colleagues to pass it.

Coble eloquently described how "many [dogs that] have died while valiantly protecting their handlers in the performance of their duties."

Cohen lauded the "contribution that these dogs make to our society and to police practices."

Even Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) jumped into the dog resolution debate, albeit in a roundabout way. Kennedy used the opportunity to lobby passionately for more research into traumatic brain injuries for veterans, saying, "Let's put those service dogs out of business. Let's restore the eyesight of our veterans."